Article produced by NXT
Photo by Stine Skøtt Olesen

The building industry is one of the greatest burdens on the climate and nature, with significant consumption of CO₂, materials, and land. At the same time, it provides the framework for people’s lives, communities, and well-being. 

For more than a year, we have been deeply involved in the ATV Mission Lab for Regenerative Building project, which is part of the Guild for a Resilient Denmark. The Mission Lab concluded with this guide, which offers concrete action steps and recommendations for decision-makers and the industry.  

The guide outlines a vision for 2075, in which the built environment is planned and managed as part of living ecosystems and within planetary boundaries, so that it rebuilds and strengthens the planet’s, nature’s, and people’s ability to thrive and evolve over time. This requires a radical transformation across the entire value chain, where technology, innovation, regulation, and new forms of collaboration work in close synergy with changed practices and behaviors. 

The guide identifies seven action paths for realizing regenerative building, as well as five recommendations for key actors in the ecosystem - from public authorities and research communities to investors, consultants, and civil society. The aim is to establish a common framework for how the building sector can be developed.   

Since the project’s conclusion, ACRB has served as a platform for a corps of ambassadors to continue the work of implementing the action plans.